Watch the Clouds
by Anhai
Summary: 50 sentences centered on the relationship between the Aerialbots and Protectobots, though there's an added Motormaster thrown in for flavor at some point in there.


50 sentences using the borrowed theme set "Gamma" from the 1sentence community over on livejournal. They're centered around the relationship between the Aerialbots and Protectobots, the eldest and middle "children" of the Autobot gestalts.

Also, from the sentence 19 "Candle" I'd like to mention that the rhyme Streetwise is repeating isn't my words. It's a rhyme my aunt told me once when I was younger, and I'm pretty sure it's an actual nursery rhyme from somewhere. Seemed like something the Protectobots would know, especially Streetwise.

I hope you enjoy!

(This formatting is a pain in the rear. Seriously.)

* * *

**01 - Ring  
**  
They aren't permitted to land so they turn in ever tightening circles instead, creating an airborne perimeter around the limp forms sprawled so far below on the ground, small for the thousands of feet that separate them.

**02 - Hero  
**  
The Aerialbots were the cavalry; the Protectobots were the relieving force that came after.

**03 - Memory**

It was a shock sometimes, to try to reminisce with Hot Spot only to remember that the Protectobot hadn't been there.

**04 - Box  
**  
Silverbolt traded an amused look with Skydive as he watched from the shuttle as the entire Protectobot team tried to fit themselves inside Blades – they wanted to say good-bye.

**05 - Run  
**  
It was a whole new kind of war down here where the ground was under his feet, and Skydive froze for a moment before Streetwise grabbed his hand and _pulled_.

**06 - Hurricane  
**  
Groove scrambled away from the Decepticon holding him at gunpoint as the Aerialbots descended from above, screaming their challenge above the sound of their winds that whipped and roared.

**07 - Wings  
**  
"Fly high little butterfly," Groove murmured with a smile as he leaned back to watch the flash and shimmer of five sets of wings under the sunlight.

**08 - Cold  
**  
Skydive glanced at Blades' stiff posture, his optics pale and unmoved, before he stood and walked away – "it was bound to not work out; please keep your team leader away from mine from now on."

**09 - Red  
**  
It was a trained response and Fireflight felt bad about it, yeah, but Hot Spot's optics flashing in the dark like that was bound to set anyone off.

**10 - Drink  
**  
"Air Raid, you and Streetwise are not allowed to drink together ever again, and Hot Spot agrees with me: _not ever_."

**11 - Midnight  
**  
Air Raid was hard to see at night, and Blades felt horrible for _months_.

**12 - Temptation  
**  
The third time Silverbolt noticed Fireflight's attention divert to the decorations hanging off of Blades's rotors, Silverbolt gave up – "all right, go get him"

**13 - View  
**  
"Hot Spot, it's great that you're so excited, but can you _please_ stop trying to guess how much higher we'd have to go to make Streetwise look like an ant…_please_?"

**14 - Music  
**  
Slingshot stuck his head out the door, "Streetwise, if you don't _cut it out_ with that fragged song then _so help me I will slagging end you!" _

**15 - Silk  
**  
Air Raid's optics glowed with sudden inspiration, "so…it comes from _worms_?"

**16 - Cover  
**  
"Fall back," Silverbolt told him sharply over the radio, "we're used to this, we'll make sure your team gets back safely."

**17 - Promise  
**  
Blades hissed back at the Decepticons creeping up on their position, crouching defensively between them and Slingshot-- he'd told Silverbolt he'd bring him back, and that was what he was going to do.

**18 - Dream  
**  
Fireflight's smile was sympathetic and understanding when he found Blades in the training room trying to fight the fear away, "was that your first nightmare?"

**19 - Candle  
**  
"Here comes the candle to light your way to bed," Streetwise sing-songed softly as he readied his pistol, trading shaky grins with Blades, "and here comes the chopper to chop off your head."

**20 - Talent  
**  
Every one of the Protectobots was talented, special, and the thought of it made Slingshot sick like there was something sour in his tanks.

**21 - Silence  
**  
Fireflight and Hot Spot traded looks as the medics bustled around them-- the medical bay was loud, but it couldn't drown out the pit of dark and quiet in their heads.

**22 - Journey  
**  
Silverbolt glanced over Hot Spot as Groove drove away from the Protectobots' shed, frowning, "where does he go?"

**23 - Fire  
**  
Streetwise stumbled back with a yelp as the air itself suddenly became hot orange and flame; above him and beyond, Fireflight banked, coming back around for another pass.

**24 - Strength  
**  
First Aid didn't flinch away from the close-proximity explosion, but instead jumped forward to cover Slingshot's open chest with his own body.

**25 - Mask  
**  
"Streetwise," Skydive informed Hot Spot flatly, "is probably the most cynical, cold, and harsh of all of you."

**26 - Ice  
**  
Silverbolt was brave, caring, and focused, but he was also hard, and where Hot Spot would grant mercy Silverbolt would kill without a second thought.

**27 - Fall  
**_  
_Skydive had stalled, somehow (no, not somehow, he knew exactly what he'd done), and though his body wasn't responding his processor was well aware and the ground was _coming up straight for him oh Sigma help him_.

**28 - Forgotten  
**  
Groove stood back with a sigh and let his teams bicker; across the room, Skydive met his optics and smiled.

**29 - Dance  
**  
"Aw, slag this, I'm gonna show you how _we_ do it."

**30 - Body  
**  
Air Raid grinned at him, and Blades eyed him suspiciously-- "you know, I think I like you without legs; you're the perfect size for carrying around _and_ you can't chase me for it later."

**31 – Sacred**

Silverbolt was grounded and Motormaster was _right there_ but, though his programming screamed at him to help, Hot Spot couldn't shake the feeling that it was not his place to step between them.

**32 - Farewells  
**  
The two teams spent their last night together sprawled out over the Aerialbots' common room floor, foot on wing on hand on head on aft.

**33 - World  
**  
The Aerialbots claimed the skies above Earth, keeping the Protectobots' beloved home close and sheltered beneath their wings.

**34 – Formal  
**Hot Spot's suitor had already gone through the entire Protectobot team, but now he was facing down a distinctly unimpressed looking (and very _large_) Silverbolt.

**35 – Fever  
**"We have to get his temperature down," Skydive said calmly, and carefully held First Aid's twitching arms to the floor of their safe house, ignoring the way they burned his hands.

**36 – Laugh  
**  
It hurt to laugh, but Slingshot did it anyway – he pretended not to notice how First Aid's shoulders relaxed.

**37 - Lies  
**  
Hot Spot looked slightly panicky for moment under the gaze of the human children -- "um, no, they didn't actually _shoot_ Old Yeller; they just…knocked him out so they could take him to the vet."

**38 – Forever  
**Slingshot crouched hunched over Groove's prone form, picking off Decepticons and grumbling to himself about how "I'm going to end up taking care of you scraplings forever."

**39 - Overwhelmed  
**  
Hot Spot stumbled shakily into the room and immediately hit his knees, keening and holding his head tightly in frustration—he only realized he was in Silverbolt's office when the Aerialbot leader gently touched his arm.

**40 - Whisper  
**  
Fights like this were the worst, and Hot Spot quietly snapped something biting at Silverbolt, watching with grim satisfaction as the Aerialbot's optics cooled – he wished they were yelling.

**41 - Wait  
**  
Slingshot grabbed Blades by the rotors and pulled him back just in time to avoid the stream of laser fire.

**42 - Talk  
**  
Air Raid was fun to hang around with, but Streetwise could talk with Skydive for _days_.

**43 - Search  
**  
None of the Protectobots would quit under their own power, which was exactly why Optimus had sent Silverbolt to bring them home.

**44 - Hope  
**  
Silverbolt had done it and he had been by himself, so Hot Spot, whenever he felt the weight of leadership weigh on his shoulders, reminded himself that he could do it, too.

**45 - Eclipse  
**  
"I _told_ you not to look right at it without the proper settings on your optics," Silverbolt told Fireflight sternly and First Aid laughed sympathetically, patting Groove on the head.

**46 - Gravity  
**  
Groove peered down at the groaning Fireflight, "y'know," he informed the jet slowly, "I don't think it's that you're a bad flier at all really; I think the Earth just likes you a bit too much."

**47 - Highway  
**  
Streetwise had to admit that there really wasn't much else that would get a rampaging human to pull over faster than a direct order from the maniacally laughing fighter jet soaring directly above him.

**48 – Unknown**

Skydive took one look at the situation and turned to consult Streetwise, who shook his head before he could even open his mouth, optics flashing sharply, "I _don't know_, all right?"

**49 - Lock  
**  
Hot Spot shook his head in awed amazement as he recounted the tale to Silverbolt, "I don't get it, I just don't get it; I put four locks on that door."

**50 - Breathe  
**  
On two separate planets in two separate bases, two separate teams curled up together on the floors of their rooms and sang each other to quiet.


End file.
